The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1887-10-12
A CITY IN INDIA.
Personal Observation OF Life in Hy-
derabad-Popular Errors About
Eastern Luxuriance.

Few Of those who have not actually
visited India, says a letter from Bonn
bay. are aware that the number of
more or less independent native states
and prime 'palities owing allegiance in
various degrees to the imperial crown
Of Great Britain exceeds 45O. while the
260. 100000 who inhabit the vast pom
Ursula speak nearly 200 distinct lam
guages and dialects. Yet such is the
vtruth. OF all these states the Moslom
state OF Hyderabad is by for the largest
and most important His highness the
nixam rules over 5000 square miles of
territory. having population of 9,70O,-
900 souls, chiefly Mohammedans and
Hindoos, with a scant sprlnklug of
Jews and Parsess, and handful of
Christians.
A British resident is installed beneath
the walls of his hghness' capital, with
out whose sanction not much can be
done, and British troops garrison
Secunderabad, some few miles from the
gates. 1t is needless tc say that the
native states are allowed to indulge in
no foreign politely, but are merely
given more or less latitude in the in
ternal administration. In many instan-
ces, moreover. the government of India
actually collects the revenues and adj
ministers the principally on commits
c;n,, oartain Gxad ann mr. a ,,aroant-
age, as the case may be. being handed
over to the nominal ruler. who lives
free from the cares of state among the
ladies of his '.zenana." Not that /
would have it understood that the
majority of Indian rajahs or maharajahs
are mere voluptuaries. On the con-
trary many of them are cultivated, re-
fined gentlemen. intelligently superin-
\ tending and assisting in the administra-
ton of their revenues, and personally
inquiring into the wants of their sub
jects. A few philosophical rulers, re-
fusng all government guarantee. have
constructed railways at their own cost
apd risk in their territories. and many
have established schools and museums,
encouraging to their utmost native art
and learning. Foremost among the
enlightened native mobiles stood the late
Sir Salar Yung, prime minister during
the nizam's minority, whose son, the
courteous and cultivated young Sir
Salar, bids fair to follow worthly in the
position to which he has succeeded his
father.
have been entertained by several
Of the mobiles and gentlemen at Hyder-
abad, Bombay. and elsewhere, and have
consequently had some opportunity of
judging. while my position as an im-
partial American will shield me from
any suspicion of Aattery when l say
that / found among them as polished
and cultivated men as could be found
in any western capital.
Buildings of any artistic Importance.
savs the palaces and mausoleums of
Golconca (of ARABIAN Nights" fame)
there are none. But in spite of this all
agree in calling Hyderabad the most
interesting city in India. 1t is the peo-
pie themselves, the street life, the me-
dieval pageants and pomp which fas-
cinate. Everything seems to have
stood still for centuries. One is plung-
ed suddenly into the age of the caval-
iers The town is battlemented and
ditched and jealousy guarded. In fact.
q permit from the resident is necessa-
~ for Europeans who wish to enter the
walls.
Once over the bridge spanning the
half dried stream, where elephants are
splashing in the deep pools. and hun
dreds of ''dhobies' are pounding and
scrubbing the linen of Hydeabadee
households, and what kaleidoscope
tumble meets the eye in the densley-
crowded streets There are long rows
OF low. whitewashed buildings. with
facades of Saracenic arches, under
which the merchants squat among piles
of cotton goods, silks. carpets. brass
ware, grain, ETC.. sucking medtatively
tho amber mouthpiece of the inevita-
bic ''hubble- bubble; money changers
chewing betel-leaf and rafting their
bags of ''hailisicker" rupees. or Jumps
Of rough-cut silver and copper. On
the fiat. terraced roofs yelled women
are curiously peering at the yelling
throng below through latticed screens,
reminding one of Stamboul or Cairo.